The Malta Flag consists of two equal vertical bands of white (hoist side) and red; in the upper hoist-side corner is a representation of the George Cross, edged in red.

The people of Malta rose against French rule, which lasted two years, and with the help of the British evicted them in 1800. In 1814, Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire.

Under the United Kingdom, the island became a military and naval fortress, the headquarters of the British Mediterranean fleet. During World War II, Malta survived relentless raids from German and Italian military forces (1940-43). In recognition, King George VI in 1942 awarded the George Cross “to the island fortress of Malta–its people and defenders.”

A crucial moment in Maltese history was August 15, 1942, when five out of the 14 vessels that formed part of “Operation Pedestal,” including the American tanker SS Ohio, broke through the Nazi blockade of Malta to deliver fuel and food to the starving population. T

he arrival of the vessels was the turning point in the Maltese islands’ fate during World War II, and became known locally as the Santa Marija Convoy, in honor of the August 15 Feast of the Assumption, referred to locally as “Santa Marija.” President Franklin Roosevelt, describing the wartime period, called Malta “one tiny bright flame in the darkness–a beacon of hope for the clearer days which have come.”

In September 1943, the Italian fleet’s surrender was signed in Malta by U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio. Victory Day, celebrated on September 8, commemorates victory in the 1565 Great Siege, and the end of the World War II attacks in Malta. Malta obtained independence on September 21, 1964, became a Republic on December 13, 1974.

The last British forces left in March 1979. Malta joined the European Union on May 1, 2004.